In this episode I chat with Dr Mark Priestley, Chair of the Leadership and Management Special Interest Group (LAMSIG), Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) NSW and ANZCA Councillor.We are chatting about one of my favourite topics – leadership!

We go through my 4 part leadership curriculum, the importance of identifying core personal values, his work based on the book “Crucial Conversations” and navigating media when speaking out.

Want to continue discussing leadership?

Listen to Episode 83 where I chat with Professor Nina Deutsch and Assoc Prof Larry Schwarz about the Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative

Dr Priestley hosts a leadership and management discussion at the ASA’s 2025 National Scientific Congress (NSC). The videos from the 2025 NSC are due out in August. ASA members can access them here.

The leadership collection of the Australian Anaesthesia podcast can be found on the LAMSIG webpage.

Find out more about AUS-NZ WELI and apply to join here.

I chat with Dr David Borshoff about the latest edition of the Anaesthetic Crisis Manual. This edition includes a new 'Prevention' section, collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and comes out in 2 versions: International and North American.

As an ASA member, you are eligible for a FREE(!) or discounted Manual. Contact asa@asa.org.au for more details.

Not a member? Find out about more benefits of being a member here:

https://asa.org.au/types-of-membership

Key Takeaways

Cognitive aids like the Anesthetic Crisis Manual reduce cognitive load and anxiety during crises by providing systematic reassurance rather than replacing clinical judgment.

Simplicity in crisis management protocols requires substantial effort— Dr Borshoff spent nine months updating the fourth edition with fellowship-level study commitment to distill information to essential directives.

Team communication and psychological safety are critical; the anaesthetic technician's willingness to speak up during Dr Borshoff's front-of-neck access directly contributed to patient survival.

Passion projects and creative outlets in medicine maintain professional engagement and curiosity, preventing burnout while advancing patient safety and departmental culture.

Accessibility matters: offering manuals free to trainees and discounted to members embeds cognitive aid culture into the profession from early career stages.

Quotable Moments

"None of us are infallible 100% of the time."

"When you're cognitively loaded, you want to be making as few decisions as possible so that you can stick to the big stuff."

"The crisis manual is there to support the clinical acumen and the decision making of the doctor. It's not the other way around."

"If you've got something that you're passionate about, then you're prepared to do the work and you don't realise how many hours are ticking away while you're doing it."

"Why don't you just do it properly, doc?" — The anaesthetic technician's intervention that broke Borshoff's fixation error during emergency front-of-neck access.

Some other episodes you might enjoy:

Ep25. The Anaesthetic Crisis Manual with Dr David Borshoff

Ep78. AMAX4 - a cognitive aid for anaphylaxis with Dr Ben McKenzie

Find the Anaesthetic Crisis Manual and other Crisis Manuals here: https://leeuwinpress.com.au/

We welcome any feedback: podcast@asa.org.au

We have a new wellbeing webpage!

In this episode I chat with Dr Lan-Hoa Le, Chair of the ASA's Wellbeing Advocates Committee. She has been busy curating a webpage with a tonne of useful resources from crisis helplines, peer support programs and mindfulness training. There is something there for everyone, whether you or a colleague would appreciate some confidential support, you are interested in supporting others or you already have a well established interest and role in developing wellbeing in the workplace.

We welcome all anaesthetists and those that support us to visit the webpage, regardless of your ASA membership status. You can find it here.

Everymind's guide to language and suicide

Ep33. Substance use disorder: A personal perspective with Dr Colin Baird

Ep84. Ahpra with AMA Policy Manager Nick Elmitt

Donate to or seek assistance from the ASA Benevolent Fund.